"You see, that's the bit I just don't get. I am really *happy* to be a woman. And I don't consider myself to be the same as a man, in many ways. But I don't see this as a threat. I'm not out to prove that 'I can do anything a man can do' because I know I can't and besides, I don't want to."

Know what Lizzie? I'm very happy to be a woman too!

However I don't expect to be 'protected' from owning and controlling my own property, choosing a partner, be prevented from seeing my own children should he so decide and the myriad of other things women were 'protected' from by men in your mythical Golden Age

However I think there are many tasks in this post industrial society (ie the REAL world not the one of hurling spears at mammoths) we live in that I could do just as competantly as a male colleague and I would expect to receive the same opportunities to do them the same renumeration and prospects of promotion too.

By the same token I welcome the participation of men who wish to enter the traditional 'female' employments of nursing etc.

equal but different - yes :)